Block and elevator connecter



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L. E. NEBERGALL BLOCK AND ELEVATOR CONNECTER Filed Aug. 22 1924 LE m/Z'BERGALLL LOIRAN E. NEBERGALL, 01 DENVER, COLORADO.

BLOCK AND ELEVATOR CONNECTER.

Application filed August 22, 1924. Serial No. 733,637,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORAN E. NEBERGALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver, State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBlock and Elevator Gonnecters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tools and apparatus employed in drilling oil, artesian and other deep wells, and especially to appliances for raising and lowering tubing, casing, and drill-pipe for such wells. It is the object of my invention to provide a strong, light-weight, efficient and easily operated means for connecting casing-elevators to the tackle-blocks by which the well-casing, tubing or drive-pi e is lifted and lowered into the well. The evice provided by my inven tion obviates the use of casing-hooks, such as have been heretofore employed for connecting the casing-elevators and blocks, and enables the use of elevators having straight links in which the strength of the material is fully utilized, instead of links bent laterally at the upper portions to adapt them for connection with hooks. My invention further provides a means for connecting blocks and elevators, in which the connection has greater lateral flexibility than is provided by ordinary casing-hooks, and thereby facilitating the lifting of the casing from horizontal to vertical position. My invention further provides a swivelled and limitedly yielding means for connecting casing-blocks and elevators.

A structure embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the connecter, with its associated elevator and tackle-block, Fig. 2 is a vertical or axial section of the connecter, Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same, and Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 4.4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the assemblage of parts shown in Fig. 1, there is represented at the lower part of the figure a casing-elevator of ordinary construction, comprising a collar 10 consisting of parts hinged together so that the collar may be opened and placed around the casing 11 below the coupling 12 g at the end thereof; said collar having laterally extending lugs 13 to which the links 14. are pivotally and detachably connected. At the upper part of the figure is represented the lower block 15 of the elevator tackle,

said block having at the lower end thereof a detachable clevis 16, to which ordinarily is attached the eye of the casing-hook, the hook being engaged with the upper ends of the elevator-links which are bent laterally inward from the planes of the lower portions thereof, to enable both links to be engaged with the hook.

n my improved connecter I provide a cylindrical shaft or stem 17 having formed integrally with the upper end thereof a head 18 and an eye 19, the latter preferably being vertically elongated to facilitate the passing through it of the end of the clevis 16 when the connecter is attached to the block. The lower end of the stem 17 is threaded and upon said threaded portion is screwed the nut 20. A cylindrical sleeve 21 is set in a groove at the upper side of the nut, said sleeve being concentric with and spaced from the stem. Within said sleeve 21 and disposed loosely about the stem is a coil spring 22 which extends normally above the upper end of the sleeve, as shown. About the stem atthe upper end of the spring is disposed a thrustbearing consisting of the balls 23 and the lower and upper race-plates 24 and 25. Supported upon said thrustbearing and fitting revolubly about the stem is theyoke or swivel-block which comprises a central hub-portion 26 and oppositely disposed laterally extending lugs 27, said lugs having the link-grooves 28 formed therein at their upper sides adjoinin their inner ends. The sectional form of tie lugs in the vertical plane of the link-grooves is substantially cylindrical, as shown in Fig. 4, but the outer ends are U-shaped, the fiat upper sides thereof being in the horizontal plane of the upper end of the central portion 26. Resting upon the upper side of the yoke, and fitting pivotally about the stem, is the keeper-plate 29, of which the form in plan is the same as that of the yoke, so that when the laterally extending portions of the plate are vertically alined with the. lugs 27 the plate extends across the upper portions of the link-grooves and prevents disengagement of the links therefrom. The keeper-plate and yoke are held normally in the locked or registering position, by.

means of the locking-links 30, of which the upper portions are pivotally connected with the ends of the keeper-plate, and the lower portions normally extend about the U-shaped outerends of the yoke-lugs, as shown. By

swinging the locking-links outwardl as shown by dotted lines at the left of ig. 2, the keeper-plate is released and may be swung about the axis of the stem to a release position at right angles to the normal or locking position, and in said release position of the keeper-plate the linkgrooves are uncovered thereby, so that the elevator-links may be removed from the grooves or placed therein.

In the use of my improved connecter, the same is first secured to the tackle-block by removing the clevis 16 from the block, passing the clevis through the eye 19 of the connecter, and again attaching the clevis to the block, so'that the connecter is suspended therefrom as shown in Fig. 1. The

elevator is connected with the casing, tub

ing or drive-pipe in the usual manner, and the connecter is lowered into proximity to the elevator. the keeper-plate 29 being unlocked by raising the links 30, and said plate swung about the stem to the release position at which the link-grooves 28 are open to receive the elevator-links. The links 14 are then swung in to positions at which 7 they straddle the lugs 27 of the connecteryoke, and the block is raised until the links are seated in the link-grooves. The keeperplate is then swung to its normal or looking position, to retain the links in the. grooves, and said plate is secured against accidental displacement, by the dropping of the locking-links 30 about the ends of the yoke-lugs 27. If the casing, tubing or drive-pipe to which the elevator is connected is lying in a horizontal position upon the ground, the elevator is so placed thereon'that the lugs 13 extend horizontally, and when the linksare then engaged with the lugs 27 of the connecter the latdesirable. After thecasing has been raised to vertical position, and while lowering the same into the well, or when lifting casing out of a well,-rotation of the suspended tubing creasing, as required for screwing together or-nnscrewing the couplings thereof, is permitted by vthe rotation of the yoke or swivel-block about the stem 17,

free movement of the yoke being facilitated by the antifriction bearing upon which it rests. The yieldable support of the connecter-yoke, afforded by the spring 22, prevents sudden'jars and excessive stresses resultingthe'refrom, which are an important proportioned that it will prevent excessive compression of the spring. the bearingmemher 24 seating upon the upper end of the sleeve when the spring has reached a maximum compression. and said sleeve then receiving anyload in excess of that required to compress the spring.

When the casing-tackle is employed for general hoisting purposes. or when used with elevators of which the links are not suited for engagement with the yoke or swivel-block of my connecter, the latter may be provided with extra links, such as the links 14 detached'from the usual elevator, said links being engaged With the yokelugs 27 and extending below the lower end of the stem, so that any desired connection a be formed with the lower ends of-said in s.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A block and elevator connecter, comprising a cylindrical stem having a head and eye at the upper portion thereof, a yoke disposed rotatably about said stem and having laterally extending lugs provided with link-receiving grooves, and means on the lower portion of the stem for sustaining said yoke.

2. A block and elevator connecter, com prising a cylindrical stem havin means at its upper end for connection wit a tackleblock, a yoke fitting rotatably about said stem, said yoke having opposite laterally extending lugs provided at the upper sides thereof with link-receiving grooves, means on the lower portion of the .stem for sustaining said yoke, and means for retaining plevator-links in said grooves of the yoke- A block and elevator connecter, comprising a cylindrical stem, a yoke slidably and rotatably disposed upon said stem, said yoke having opposite laterally extending lugs adapted for engagement by elevator links, means at the upper end of the stem for connecting the same with a tackleblock, a spring disposed about the lower portion of the stem and yieldably supporting the yoke thereon, and means at the lower end of the stem for supporting said spring.

4. A block and elevator connecter, comprising a stem having an integral eye formed at the upper end thereof and a nut at the lower end thereof, a yoke rotatably and slidably disposed about said stem, opposite laterally extending link-enga 'ng ugs on said yoke, a spring and an antiriction thrustsbearing disposed about the stem between the nut and the yoke, and a sleeve lll) carried hy the nut and changeable With said hearing to limit compression of the spring.

5, la a block and elevator connecter a vertical cylindrical stern, a yoke-member swivelled upon said stem, opposite laterally eatendin lugs on said yoke-member, there being lin receiving rooves in said 111 S a heeperlate arrang upon the stem a eve said yohe-rnemher, and releasable means for holding the keeper-plate in register with the yoke-lugs to prevent displacement of links lrorn said grooves 6. ln a connector ot the class described a cylindrical stern, a yoke-member swivelled thereon, opposite laterally extending lugs on said yoke-member, said lugs having linkreceiving grooves in the upper sides thereof, a keeper-plate disposed about the stem above the yoke-member and having portions adapted to register with the yoke-lugs to cover said grooves, and lockinglinks pivoted on said keeper-plate and engageable with the outer portions at the yoke-lugs to retain the plate in register with said lugs.

L. E. NEBERGALL, 

